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2008-08-02 Home Front: Politix

Obama 'shifts', says he may back offshore drilling

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Posted by Steve White 2008-08-02 00:00|| || Front Page|| [1 views ] Top

#1 Shifting from his previous opposition to expanded offshore drilling

#snort# Story of Barry's life.

Posted by Secret Master 2008-08-02 00:13|| 2008-08-02 00:13|| Front Page Top

#2 Pelosi's ban on drilling is gonna really hurt the Donks over the recess if the GOP plays this right, and from yesterday's debacle at The House, it appears they are...

Posted by Frank G">Frank G 2008-08-02 05:57|| 2008-08-02 05:57|| Front Page Top

#3 Yup. I was worried a little while back that the Pubs would miss the train. Instead it appears that they were just keeping their powder dry until the right moment. The stunt in the House was just that -- a stunt -- but it was humorous and it got people's attention.

Now lets see if the Pubs can pound the point home while the Congresscritters are on vacation in their districts.

Posted by Steve White 2008-08-02 09:21|| 2008-08-02 09:21|| Front Page Top

#4 Sorry, Frank. The trunks are the Paleos of politics; they never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity. If there are five or moer trunk reps pounding on the door of the House on Monday for the assembled tv vidocams shouting "Mrs. Pelosi, Open this door!" I'll take it back. But Friday appears to be a spontaneous eruption that would have been vetoed by the leadership. John Fund has a great column on whether the trunks will be the party of Ted Stevens or Tom Coburn. I suspect we are near an inflection point but haven't reached it yet. I sure would like to see Coburn and Pence running things.

Posted by Nimble Spemble 2008-08-02 10:04|| 2008-08-02 10:04|| Front Page Top

#5 Boehner and Blount were there, NS, so your remark bout the leadership is....inoperative. Bush should call them back to Special Session to really highlight their obstruction...heh

Posted by Frank G">Frank G 2008-08-02 10:18|| 2008-08-02 10:18|| Front Page Top

#6 Thanks, Frank. But if the leadership was involved, they should have gotten more than 40 to show up and they could have arranged media. (How has it played in the media?)

I still suspect, based on what I've read, that it was spontaneous and the leadership went on with it, rather than led it as part of a concerted program. I'll be happy to be proven wrong on Monday.

Also, remember the Senate is still in session. If the trunks there were not a bunch of Stevens, they'd descend upon the chamber when the token donk makes his appearance, establish a quorum and pass some legislation.

Posted by Nimble Spemble 2008-08-02 10:42|| 2008-08-02 10:42|| Front Page Top

#7 In order to get elected President of the entire country, not just the crazy parts, Obama will have to move more towards the center. This latest position is just Machiavellian pragmatism in action. I suspect he would throw his grandmother under the bus if necessary. Oh, wait. That already happened.

Posted by SteveS 2008-08-02 10:48|| 2008-08-02 10:48|| Front Page Top

#8 Drilling bans along the Pacific coast and the Northeast would remain in place under this compromise.

Let those hicks in the south soil their beaches! We of the elite have our principles!

Posted by Obama Bobby 2008-08-02 11:23|| 2008-08-02 11:23|| Front Page Top

#9 In order to get elected President of the entire country, not just the crazy parts, Obama will have to appear to move more towards the center via election pledges he has no intention of honoring. Once elected, he has four years to do whatever he wants, helped along by a Democratic legislature.

Posted by Zhang Fei 2008-08-02 12:50|| http://timurileng.blogspot.com]">[http://timurileng.blogspot.com] 2008-08-02 12:50|| Front Page Top

#10 Once elected, he has four years to do whatever he wants One drawback to this prediction -- the national & world economy continues to deteriorate in ways that surprise the experts. Events not quite foreseeable now will constrain whatever the next president does, to the extent that he will (1) regret winning and (2) not be re-elected. The amount of pain high motor fuel costs the electorate is underestimated by candidates (as it has been by Detroit), and just wait until the new winter heating costs sink in. My natural gas supplier this week sent me a letter announcing its base price will rise from $9.90/mcf to $17.70/mcf, this is in addition to supply & other billing charges.

Posted by Anguper Hupomosing9418 2008-08-02 14:57|| 2008-08-02 14:57|| Front Page Top

#11 If Bush had a killer instinct, he would recall both the House and Senate to session until comprehensive energy production legislation is passed. That includes keeping the legislature in session, and squealing like the pigs they are, through November.

That would be a no lose situation for Bush and wildly popular with Americans.

Posted by ed 2008-08-02 15:39|| 2008-08-02 15:39|| Front Page Top

#12 If Bush had a killer instinct, the regime in Iran would be long gone, so forget that.

Unfortunately, the House and Senate (Obama included) are such a bunch of inept, technically-unsophisticated losers that I'm not sure I'd welcome any comprehensive energy legislation that came out of there. They will tinker with energy prices, taxes, and research direction with the ultimate result that everything will be distorted, corrupted, bureaucratized, and less than half as good as it could otherwise be.

Case in point: Obama's "windfall profits" BS ignores that facts that (1) most oil companies are publicly owned by shareholders including American citizens and pension plans and (2) profits are needed to boost capital for things like offshore exploration and increasing domestic capacity. But he's a socialist like many Democrats in Congress, so I don't expect him to understand capitalism: he only understands taxes, and taxation is his notion of building wealth.

Posted by Darrell 2008-08-02 16:52|| 2008-08-02 16:52|| Front Page Top

#13 If the oil companies make a bazillion dollars, they generally report profits after taxes, no?

So if they eared a bazillion dollars, did they not pay another bazillion in taxes before they made a bazillion in profit?

Am I the only person who thinks that? Did I dream it?

Posted by Bobby 2008-08-02 17:39|| 2008-08-02 17:39|| Front Page Top

#14 Taxes only capture 33% of profits. Windfall taxes capture 100%. See the appeal for Washington?

Posted by ed 2008-08-02 17:45|| 2008-08-02 17:45|| Front Page Top

#15 The profit was record in terms of amount. In terms of percentage, its was 8% of revenues.

Now imagine if the 70% that we import was all on the economy. 700 Billion annnually -- all added to the US in terms of tax revenue base. Also add in the thousands of jbos and income they create.

Drill Here, Drill Now! Strategic Importance, Economic Importance.

Posted by OldSpook 2008-08-02 20:42|| 2008-08-02 20:42|| Front Page Top

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